| "The Standoff" | |||
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Capricorn Facility May 28, 2008 2025 hours Saf had followed Joshua's orders, fed by Birkoff, but she had known it was really Joshua speaking. Go here, take out target at location there, move to the second position. It was like being back at Section 1, she could feel her freedom disappearing; she had an uneasy feeling about this attack. They cleared through the building, at times going off to check on rooms; which were empty or to be emptied. It became automatic after a while, so much so that she didn't even care who they were, only that they stood between her and her goal. En route, she picked up a Section four operative, who cared only that she didn't shoot him, and she felt so cold inside like nothing could have penetrated the frostiness that she felt as she pushed him in front of her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paige watched until Brian had disappeared from her view. She then turned to the computers tapping at them furiously. "Help me," she hissed at Baz who stood at her side. "What are you doing?" "Erasing the files. Get that one," she directed him to the computer next to hers, the one Brian had been using. "They're coming Paige," he said glancing up briefly. "Just keep erasing," she said as she deleted file after file of all the work they had done. They certainly were coming. She didn't look up but she could hear them, the weapons barking, the Section guys directing, some already down. How many people would Joshua bring? She knew he would bring Michael, and that most likely Michael would bring his own Section team. So, who would win then if Section went against Section? "Stop what you're doing." Paige froze, as did Baz. The voice was so smooth, so nonchalant, so lightly accented that it could only be one person. Her eyes rose slowly to meet his ice blue ones peering at her from behind his mask. Baz, meet Michael, she thought to herself. "Take a step back," he ordered both of them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carter had been going over the details of their progress (which was pretty fucking good if he could say so himself) with Madeline in one of the small labs. That's when he heard the first shot. It was muffled with them being so far into the facility but it was unmistakably gunfire. "He's here," Madeline said flatly. There wasn't a hint of panic, a trace of surprise in her voice. And that was what scared Carter the most. He was here. He'd finally found them. The Big One. The Intruder. Joshua. "Let's go," Madeline said quickly and started out of the lab towards the main one. Wasn't this a bad idea? Shouldn't they be looking to get out? Not go to the main lab? He followed her anyway passing a running Brian on the way. See - Brian had the right idea. Run. But Carter swallowed the fear and continued after Madeline into the main lab. It was almost a chaotic scene. And eerily, it was quiet. Or maybe Carter was just too shocked, too amped up, to process what his ears were hearing. Two of the guards were near them now and handed Madeline a weapon. How come he didn't get one? Two more figures dressed in black approached with their weapons trained on the foursome. Paige and Baz were at the computers where another figure dressed in black had a weapon pointed at them. The man said something and they each took a slow step back. More came in, more dressed in black, but it was difficult to tell who was who and who was on who's side. They apparently knew, however, as the room came to a standstill, each one pointing a weapon at someone else. Well, this could be dangerous. Silence. Just like that there was silence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paige stepped away from the computer and glanced to her left. Carter and Madeline were out here now and two figures in black were on them instantly. She couldn't tell who the two in black were with until one of them handed Madeline a gun. They were with Section Four then. Madeline raised her weapon holding it up on two other figures dressed in black. Now, those were One. And if Paige didn't know any better, judging from the slenderness of the figure, one of them was Nikita. So she still ran with the big dogs as well. Good for her. At least she was alive. This was going nowhere fast as everyone jockeyed themselves into position holding their weapons on someone else. Yeah, it was definitely going nowhere. Check that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joshua smirked as he entered the main lab. Could it have been more perfect than this? He had come in through the back and checked the place as he moved forward. It wasn't a thorough job, but he didn't really care either. He knew if the boy, whoever he was, wasn't in the main lab, that he was hiding. Most likely he was hiding and a kid that small could hide almost anywhere. But the kid wasn't Joshua's concern right now. Right now, he was going to watch his greatest adversary get a taste of her own medicine. Karma could definitely be a bitch sometimes. He walked into the lab, ignoring the weapons pointed about. After all, that's how he ordered it, that's how he planned it, and that's exactly how his little minions executed it. A standoff, and his grin widened as he moved into the center of it. There she was. Paige. Glaring at him with all her fury and all her intensity and completely helpless to do anything about it. He wondered then just how far she would let him go. She'd been all about letting him go as far as he wanted to lately, and he wondered if that were still true, if that notion covered other spectrums as well. A small twinge of guilt rippled through his gut but he quickly squashed it. In order to get something done like this you had to be empty. After all, empty people had an amazing capacity for doing horrific things. And what was about to go down certainly qualified as such. Later he would deal with that twinge. He turned away from his fiery blonde possession and focused his attention on Madeline. She had lowered her weapon, not realizing the futility of it being raised, but realizing it could not save her. No need to expend precious energy. No need at all. The two Section Four operatives, two he didn't recognize, turned their weapons on him. He scoffed, ignoring them. "Madeline," he said with one of his patented smug grins. "So nice to see you here." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Safara, with Jordan, finally exited into a large space, Joshua going in primary position and she could now see Paige. The tone in Joshua's voice, made her turn towards him, when he greeted Madeline. It wasn't enough to put her off her guard, and the man she was guarding she pushed down on his knees; she said nothing to anyone just looking around and trying to take in the bigger picture. She could hear the words, but not the truth, she could feel the anger, but not the peace. She felt as though they were all trying to get their point of view into the frame, but they couldn't all be telling the truth, so who was the liar? With every word spoken it just raised more questions, more difficulties, and more problems before the truth could be bared and the reality revealed. She shook her head, trying to piece together what she knew, and what she was hearing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jordan, with her weapon raised moved into the larger room besides Safara. She looked quickly around the room, seeing Paige and Baz, indisposed by Michael, but other wise okay. Madeline hadn't done an unspeakable horror to them that she could observe. Speaking of Madeline, there she was, standing there with her gun raised, maybe she was pointing it at Joshua, but she couldn't tell from her angle. She watched silently, waiting for the situation to unfold, wondering exactly what was going to happen and something big certainly was. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carter watched as everything came to a stand still. What the fuck had he gotten himself into this time? That thought was quickly replaced when he saw Him, Joshua, coming into the lab from the back. Carter shivered, not bothering to try and suppress it. Had he decided to stay in the smaller lab Joshua might have come upon him alone. Joshua might have decided to just kill him on the spot. The man was huge. The tape from the break in at his DC lab certainly did him no justice as he was more impressive in person. The man walked almost to the center of the room looking to Paige and Baz. Joshua then turned and focused on the woman standing next to him, Madeline. "Madeline," he said with a grin that sent a fresh wave of chills down Carter's spine. "So nice to see you here." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paige stared at Joshua's back for a moment before fixing her gaze on the others. Michael was now to her right the lab bench between them. Madeline and Carter stood in front of Joshua with two Section Four men flanking them while Nikita and another Section One man stood to their left. Two others came in pushing another in front of them. Paige knew who they were at least, Safara and Jordan. Why were they here? Saf pushed the man down to his knees, obviously one of the remaining Section Four guys. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saf noted that Paige was looking puzzled when she had recognized who they were, but it was like suddenly finding out the side you were playing on was not what it seemed. She heard the words, but it meant nothing...nothing at all. Joshua was barking at Madeline who was snapping back and it became more and more confusing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paige watched as Joshua then fixed his gaze upon Safara and Jordan. "Find the boy," Joshua growled at them. "You are not in the position to be giving orders, Joshua," Madeline said flatly. "Really?" Joshua replied shouldering his weapon. The action was so easy Paige thought he might take a seat and put his feet up while he was at it. Perhaps ask for a latt�? "We took your guys out, this is all that's left," he said sweeping his arm in the air. Madeline took a step forward. "Joshua Lovell, you've committed an act of treason against Oversight and her governing bodies. You are hereby ordered to relinquish your weapons and come with me for questioning." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jordan listened to Madeline's words, her un-ease growing inside her. She stayed put, not bothering to go find the boy as Joshua had ordered. Safara made no move either. The on going words between Joshua and Madeline gave further confusion to the situation. Words back and forth, challenging each other, but the truth? One of them had to be stating the truth right? She shock her head, the history behind Madeline, Joshua, Paige, Saf, and even herself, it all boggled her mind. She couldn't quite fully comprehend what was going on. Jordan stared at Joshua, waiting for his reply to Madeline's words of treason. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joshua took a moment to look at her then let out a hearty laugh. The operatives, all of them, shifted uneasily on their feet as he continued to laugh. "That's good..." he snickered, "that's very funny, Madeline. Act of treason," he pointed to her, "that's really good." He stopped laughing altogether wrapping himself up with that intensity again. He glowered at Madeline, "too bad it really doesn't mean jack shit, does it?" Madeline merely looked at him. "Let me tell you all something...speaking of treason," Joshua said directing his comments to all the operatives...and agents. "Madeline here has been a little busy. Busy going behind Oversight's back working on this little project. How do I know this? Because I work for Oversight. There was no authorization for this project and that can only mean that you," he turned back to Madeline, "are the one that committed an act of treason." "My involvement in this project had the full backing of Section One and Operations..." "Yeah, but too bad he's dead. All projects associated with him were cancelled or redirected...this was never even in the files." "Prove it," Madeline said simply. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paige watched as the rage built inside Joshua. "I collaborate with Joshua," Michael spoke up pulling off his mask. "I'm in charge of Section One. You're involvement with Project Capricorn is not authorized." Paige glanced at Michael as he spoke then back to Madeline who now had a small smile on her face. "And just how did you get here, Michael?" Michael stared at her then glanced to Joshua. Joshua spoke evenly, "we tracked you down here following Paige's tracker...after I was informed that you kidnapped her." Madeline scoffed softly. "That was not a kidnapping..." "Yes it was," Baz spoke up suddenly. "You had your people take her by force...then me." "I already told you Sebastian that it was for your own safety. More importantly, for Paige's safety. But if you wish to term it as kidnapping, that's fine." She turned to Joshua. "Why was it then necessary to go to such lengths to...kidnap...her then, Joshua?" Joshua clenched his jaw as Madeline smiled. She spoke evenly, "because she had data, intelligence, amongst other things, about this project. Did you tell them, Joshua? How Paige got the data?" "I gave it to her," he rumbled at Madeline. "You didn't give it to her," Madeline turned to Safara and Jordan. "Joshua and Michael took it upon themselves to drug her and force her to memorize the data." Paige watched as Safara and Jordan tilted their heads a little then turned to Paige. "Is that true, Paige?" Safara said quietly. Paige stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding her head. "They told me it was the Directory, told me it was the deal, my deal, to stay in the SIA." "Paige," Safara shook her head slowly. Paige turned to Joshua. "But it wasn't the Directory. Joshua and Michael had been gathering intel on everything from chemicals, bio weapons, and locations of key heads of various governments around the world. I know...I saw it all. I've seen everything." Madeline turned to Joshua. "You planned on using the Capricorn technology as a vehicle to take out those key individuals, dismantle Oversight and Section and rebuild everything with you in complete power." Joshua never took his eyes off Paige. "She filled your head with lies, Paige, you know that's not true." Paige stared at him. He was still able to do it. Still able to break her down, strip her down to nothing, in front of everyone, even in this forum, he could still break her. He was telling the truth, he was powering his will over her, making her believe him and she could say nothing. Nothing at all. He turned back to Madeline. "Everyone here knows you, Madeline. They know how you operate, how you lie, how you do anything to keep your position." His voice rose steadily as did the tension in the room. "You lie, you manipulate, you've fucked with every one of these operatives. Every last one of them. You distort the truth, twist their emotions, and break them into pieces until there's nothing left. Until they are nothing." "You stole the files from Carter," Madeline lashed back at him. "You stole the files, forced them on Paige, and forced me to take her in order to complete the project..." "I have proof," Carter spoke up suddenly. "I have video of him breaking into my facility." "I've seen it," Baz added. "It's true." "I stole those files to protect Oversight from Madeline," Joshua bellowed. The operatives started shifting their weight and tightening their grips on their weapons. Michael moved slowly closer to the arguing duo. "You stole those files," Madeline hissed back as her voice began to rise and the weapon in her hand shook slightly. Paige couldn't remember ever hearing Madeline raise her voice. "You forced this project into completion and used Paige not only to hide your intel but to lead you right here, so you could swoop in with your lies and your deceit and your statements of saving the world..." "That's enough, this is OVER," Joshua barked as he unshouldered his weapon bringing it on Madeline. "So you could get everything you wanted," she yelled back bringing her own weapon up. "Remove me, the one person who can still expose you, and you get your technology, you'll kill innocent individuals all for your greed, for your power..." "ENOUGH," Joshua yelled at her. And that was it. That was the catalyst. The point of no return had finally come with that one word. One simple word. One gesture. One small movement of a small weapon that sent the entire room on an unavoidable path. The single shot rang out... Return |
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